Surrealism's most subversive experiments often happened between covers rather than on walls, and this is the movement's book culture assembled in one room. Rare volumes by Andre Breton, Claude Cahun, Salvador Dali, Paul Eluard, Max Ernst and Toyen show writers and artists collaborating to unlock the unconscious in print. If you like the strange, close-focus corners of a big museum more than the headline galleries, this is your show.
What to expect
Books are shown in cases at a fixed opening, so the reading is slow and deliberate — this rewards patience rather than a walk-through. Expect collaged plates, hand-set typography and Ernst's cut-up illustration in tight, dim, conservation-friendly light. Wall texts unpack how each volume functioned as propaganda, provocation or private joke.
Good to know
- Take the E/M to Fifth Avenue-53rd Street, or B/D/F/M to 47-50 Streets.
- Vitrine-based shows are slow going — allow more time per object than you would for paintings.
- Lighting is kept low to protect paper, so it is not the room for detailed photography.
- Timed entry to MoMA is required; reserve online before you arrive.
- Best paired with the Drawings and Prints galleries on the same visit.
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Common questions
Which artists are represented?
Andre Breton, Claude Cahun, Salvador Dali, Paul Eluard, Max Ernst and Toyen are among those named by the museum.
What is an artists' book?
A book made as a work of art in itself — which the Surrealists treated as a vehicle for subversive experimentation.
Who organized it?
Jodi Hauptman and Starr Figura of MoMA's Department of Drawings and Prints, with Kolleen Ku.
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